22-05-2025
Texas Senate confirms appointments of Thomas Gleeson and Courtney Hjaltman to PUCT
May 21—AUSTIN — The Texas Senate May 21 unanimously confirmed the appointments of Thomas Gleeson as chairman and Courtney Hjaltman as commissioner of the Public Utility Commission of Texas. Governor Greg Abbott appointed Gleeson chairman in Jan. 2023, and Hjaltman commissioner in June 2024.
"Serving as the Chairman of the PUCT has been the highest honor of my professional life, and I thank Governor Abbott, Lt. Governor Patrick, and the members of the Texas Senate for their confidence in my ability to lead this agency through a transformative time for electricity and water utilities in Texas," Gleeson said. "I look forward to continuing to work with our incredible PUCT team and will approach each day with an unwavering commitment to our mission: protect consumers, foster competition, and promote high quality infrastructure."
Gleeson has worked at the PUCT for sixteen years in a variety of roles, including executive director, chief operating officer, and director of finance and administration. He also worked as a legislative analyst for the Texas Senate and a budget analyst for the Legislative Budget Board. Gleeson is the former chairman of the City of Pflugerville Finance and Budget Committee and the First United Methodist Church of Round Rock Finance Committee.
Gleeson is a graduate of the Governor's Executive Development Program at the University of Texas at Austin. He earned his Bachelor of Business Administration from Southwestern University and a Master of Public Administration from the Bush School of Government and Public Service at Texas A&M University. He and his wife, Elisa, are raising their three sons in Pflugerville, Texas.
Hjaltman has served on the Commission since her nomination in June 2024.
"I want to thank Governor Abbott, Lt. Governor Patrick, and the Texas Senate for this opportunity to continue to serve the State of Texas," Hjaltman said. "It's an honor to work alongside my fellow commissioners and with PUCT staff to ensure Texans have reliable and affordable utilities. I'm incredibly proud of the work we've done so far, and I look forward to building upon our successes."
Prior to joining the Commission, Hjaltman served as the chief executive and public counsel for the Office of Public Utility Counsel (OPUC) where she led the agency's representation of residential and small commercial customers in proceedings before the PUCT and the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT). She is an expert in the electric, water, and telecommunication industries and has worked for the state in a variety of roles throughout her career.
Prior to her appointment at OPUC, Hjaltman was deputy legislative director for Governor Abbott, working with members of the Texas Legislature and other stakeholders on various policy issues, which in the 87th Legislative Session included landmark legislation to improve the reliability of the ERCOT grid and institute first-ever weatherization requirements for ERCOT generation resources.
Hjaltman has also worked in both the Texas Senate and Texas House for members on the Senate and House Natural Resources Committees, Senate Select Committee on Water Policy, and House State Affairs Committee.
Hjaltman graduated from the University of Texas at Austin with a Bachelor of Science in Corporate Communications and a Bachelor of Arts in Government. She earned her Juris Doctorate from South Texas College of Law.
